


Lonely Ritual

by sassy_lion



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-07
Updated: 2008-07-07
Packaged: 2017-10-11 18:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/115805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassy_lion/pseuds/sassy_lion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has become a ritual for the Doctor...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lonely Ritual

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so in denial about Donna's end of 4x13, but this just came out of my system... Obvious spoilers for 4x13: Journey's End. Comments are love!

For some reason, he can't really explain to anyone else, he snags a paper from Wilf's paper stand every night. Never missing one night. Even when he is in the middle of a crisis in a galaxy hundreds of millions of miles away, for weeks on end, he'd go back to the next night and get a paper. He doesn't read it, just stock piles them in an extra room in the TARDIS, reminding himself of every day that has passed on Earth since he lost both Donna and Rose.

He doesn't say anything and the paper is always free for him, but he knows that Wilf doesn't mind. Wilf probably thinks he punishing himself for what happened to Donna, and he'd be absolutely correct. He blames himself for everything, doesn't let anyone else shoulder the blame as they tell him he should. He just lets it all sit on his shoulders, like he's Atlas -- carrying the burden of the heavens.

He appears this night, like usual, to find Wilf not there, but Donna in his place. He's handed the paper and reaches into his pocket, intending to pay for this one. He can't let her know that he hasn't been paying for papers. Knowing her old self, she'd surely tell her grandad that he's losing money by letting his customers walk off with free papers all the time.

"Grandad says it's on him. Free for the skinny man in the suit," Donna replies evenly as she concentrates on the screen of her cell phone, probably waiting for a text from Veena. "He also told me to tell ya, he's still watching out. Whatever that means."

The Doctor just folds the paper in his pocket, nods his thanks to Donna and walks down the street, heading for the out-of-sight TARDIS.

And this night -- even without saying a single word -- somehow didn't feel so lonely anymore.


End file.
